The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic controller and particularly to a pneumatic controller having a manifold with various passages and portals. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a pneumatic exhaust controller having apparatus that moves to block and unblock certain passages to control the movement of pressurized air through selected passages and ports of the manifold.
Pneumatic controllers having manifolds with various passages and portals and having actuators that open and close selected ones of the passages and portals are known. Typically, a pressure source supplies pressurized air to an inlet portal of the manifold and the actuators are operated in the appropriate manner to close certain passages and to open other passages so that the pressurized air flows through the manifold from the inlet portal to one or more selected outlet portals. In some prior art pneumatic controllers, one of the portals formed in the manifold is a vent or exhaust portal through which pressurized air is bled to the ambient environment.
According to the present disclosure, a pneumatic exhaust controller for use with a source of pressurized air is provided. The pneumatic exhaust controller comprises a manifold having a first portal coupled to the source of pressurized air, a second portal, and an exhaust portal. The pneumatic exhaust controller further comprises regulator means coupled to the manifold for closing the exhaust portal in response to pressurized air from the air source being communicated to the regulator means through the first portal and for passing pressurized air from the pressurized air source to the second portal when pressurized air from the source is communicated to the regulator means through the first portal.
In illustrative embodiments, a solenoid valve is coupled to the manifold and is operable to block and unblock pneumatic communication between the first portal and both the second portal and the exhaust portal. Also in illustrative embodiments, the manifold comprises a manifold block and a manifold cap. The manifold block has a chamber and a portion of the manifold cap extends into the chamber. The regulator means is situated in the chamber between the manifold cap and the manifold block. In the illustrative embodiments, the exhaust portal extends through the manifold cap. The regulator means comprises a closure disk portion that engages the manifold cap to block the exhaust portal and a valve portion that moves to permit pressurized air to flow past the regulator means.
In the illustrative embodiments, the regulator means comprises a diaphragm that moves between a first position spaced apart from the manifold cap and a second position engaging the manifold cap. The pneumatic conditions to which the diaphragm is exposed determines whether the diaphragm is in the first position or the second position. In one of the illustrative embodiments, the regulator means further comprises a guide coupled to the diaphragm. In this embodiment, the manifold block has a guide-receiving space that receives a portion of the guide. As the regulator means moves relative to the manifold block, the guide maintains proper alignment of the diaphragm relative to the manifold.
Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the pneumatic exhaust controller as presently perceived.